The Federal Railroad Administration on Thursday announced findings from a review of Metra, which called the commuter rail line “generally compliant” with U.S. safety regulations, but also directed the railroad to take immediate steps to “enhance its safety culture, which is an area of concern.”
The review was ordered by U.S. transportation officials in June after three serious incidents occurred between May 27 and June 3 and resulted in the decertification of three Metra locomotive engineers.
Among other things, the FRA directed Metra to:
Empower conductors to prioritize the safety of operations over collecting fares, on-time performance and customer service.
Ensure heightened crew interactions during higher risk operations.
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Establish new procedures to strengthen the flow of information between operating lines and Metra headquarters.
“Continuous safety improvement must be the goal of every railroad,” said Federal Railroad Administrator Joseph Szabo. “The roadmap we’ve laid out for Metra today is an opportunity for them to renew their commitment to safety and win back the faith of the traveling public.”